The world of automobile competition is full of myths on wheels, since some vehicles have become true legends thanks to the achievements that the most successful drivers have achieved at their command. Recently, one of these cars has become news due, above all, to the amount that its new owner has spent at an auction.
We are referring to the Mercedes F1 single-seater with which Lewis Hamilton, popular British driver, seven-time world champion of this discipline, achieved his first victory with the German brand. It should be remembered that that victory took place at the 2013 Hungarian Grand Prix, held at the Hungaroring circuit.
It should not be overlooked that that was the last year for V8 engines in Formula 1, which marked a before and after in the category, giving rise to the beginning of the turbo-hybrid era with V6 engines. During that season, Hamilton drove this ‘silver arrow’ in 14 of the total of 19 races held.
It should be noted that the term ‘silver arrow’ was first mentioned during a radio broadcast in the 1920s in reference to the silver bodywork of the racing cars that Mercedes used in motor competitions. Listeners liked this name and it gained strength until it became the popular nickname for the German manufacturer’s racing cars.
Regarding Lewis Hamilton’s track record, it should be noted that he is the F1 driver with the most world championships in history, tied with Michael Schumacher, and also with the most victories in history, since he has to date no less than 103 Grand Prix, clearly ahead of names like Schumacher himself or Sebastian Vettel.
There is no doubt that the impressive figures that Hamilton has achieved throughout his career have a lot to do with the extraordinary value acquired by that first Mercedes with chassis number F1W04-04 that was officially presented in February 2013 at the circuit of Jerez for winter testing.
And, at an auction held in Las Vegas just a few days ago, no less than 17.5 million euros were paid for the car that appears in the photographs, an amount that exceeded even the most optimistic forecasts (it was expected to reach , at most, a figure that would be around 14 million euros).
It is a single-seater with a 2.4-liter V8 engine that delivers a power of 750 HP and can obtain an additional 80 HP through the KERS (kinetic energy recovery system). The engine is mated to a seven-speed semi-automatic transmission. If you want to enjoy this Mercedes car in full action, you just have to take a look at the video that accompanies this article.
